February 2011 - Week 2

Now...those executive suite buses are pretty great...after a good night of sleep I woke up to the city of Cordoba.

Downgrading to a hostel from my plush boutique hotel for the week was an experience to say the least but also a pleasant one. It will take getting used to for me but it was cheap (only cost costing $50 for the week) and met many seasoned travellers that could give me great tips for my upcoming travels...and I got to cook, which I had been missing just a tad.

Cordoba....amazing...It's such a lovely city with a great vibe. I didn't know much about it before getting here. But this trip is all about discovering the language, culture, food, adventure, and generally educating myself further with each day.

Cordoba happens to be the second largest city in Argentina and a university city. The first university in Argentina was founded here by the Jesuit community many years ago. It has a safe and laid back feel to it. It’s also a great base for day trips...and that is just what I did.

My first day was spent looking at the sites of Cordoba city. The churches are spectacular...especially the Gothic Church in town. One could sit for hours and still find new fun things hidden in the masonry work.

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I've also become a bit Bin obsessed or with rubbish collection in general…dfferent city different ways...I couldn’t work out what they were at first…I’d seen so many full supermarket bags hanging in trees too, then a horse and cart stopped to pick up and sort through the rubbish…seems to be how it’s done over here. Depending on the area these people can get really Bin proud.

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Why are the bin raised you ask?...To prevent dogs and other animals can’t foraging around in the rubbish…see...always a very sound reason for certain technologies.

In Cordoba I got to spend time appreciating the statues and ironwork that seems to be prevalent throughout the nation. The museums I visited are also great. Loads of information…albeit in Spanish…and that’s the problem for me…I can’t help but be entirely stimulated to pick up the language...at least well enough to appreciate the information offered.
I'm really gaining an impression that Argentineans are generally kind, and respectful. Historically speaking there is a well-educated class of people and a lot of pride to maintain this. Argentineans appear to me to be thinkers, philosophical, and rather political….thinkers and philosphers...they love politics, and airing their opinions loudly and proudly.

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From the few I’ve conversed with they work in the humanities; doctors, many psychologists, human rights social workers and campaigners.

Cordoba is a really fine city and certainly worth visiting.

Day 2 I shot off to P.N. Quebrada del Condor, (Condor National Park) with a french woman I met at the hostel. Such an adventure for me…my first real sightseeing tour including jumping on my first local bus. Anita did all the talking being a lot more fluent in Spanish than me.

I've been quick to learn in Argentina that pretty much nothing goes to plan over here but that’s just how it is. Keeping an open mind about it works with so many new adventures developing. Although we got to the bus station on time, we had to wait 2 hours for one that had 2 seats available. With this we arrived at the National Park pretty late to undertake the 5 hour hike. It wasn't a hot day though and the initial part of the walk is pretty easy, so despite a little rain we decide to continue.

With any luck we'd actually see condors and perhaps a puma or two…however, the little rain developed into a full blown thunder storm!...but we persisted until just short of the mark…of course the more intelligent condors had no doubt long taken refuge, we were a little slower on the take. It was the side winds you could lie into, the sleet, and thunder, no warm clothes, and a realisation that we were the tallest beings in the area that finally made us give up.. The path had since turned into a river...hilarious though...we couldn't help but giggle our way through the whole trip.

Our hostel manager had already insisted that we'd probably have the chance to hitchhike back to Cordoba and this might have to be the option if the bus didn’t come or wouldn’t stop for us...we were a bit sceptical about this option…both being taught not to get in cars with strangers but goodness, different country, different ways...and the liklihood of it actually happening…

And wouldn't you know it...we hadn’t even left the National Park to the main road when two guys pulled over and asked if we were heading to Cordoba.. (que?!?!) So we cautiously said yes and asked if they'd been for the hike too...."NO, I'm just taking my son for a driving lesson"…uha...(not that I understood this) so… we did what any daring young woman would, we jumped in the car! After all it wasn’t an unmarked taxi…

It turns out you're only allowed to drive on dirt roads in National Parks if you haven’t got a licence...but an hour and a half away...hmmm. Not wanting to sound paranoid at all BUT the father was terribly excited by my camera, trekking pants brand etc. Anita understood enough to pick up on any nuances and assured me they were kosher...and it turned out that they were. We got a site seeing tour all the way back to town...and it turns out the father loves trekking and has worked his way through much of Argentina. They drove us to the door and thanked us for allowing them to drive us! and invited us on a trek in a couple of days...unfortunately that didn’t work out...but hey...what a bit of excitement.
(Note: This is not recommended or condoned and parental guidance is recommended for children attempting this!)

Do they look dodgy to you?

Day 3 was planned as another Cordoba city day. I’d been hanging out to see some of the museums that I’d missed on Monday…Of course, that didn’t go to plan...but I got to the Memorial Museum. It’s a fascinating Museum , the history of the political situation during the 70s is well documented and it’s a base for trying to locate 1000s of people still missing. An older gentleman in the archive room managed to communicate to me that he was one of the many tortured. The other gentleman at the entrance explained as best he could the history of what happened. There’s no entrance fee, and no donations accepted. It appears the people of Argentina are determined to face this part in their history and find justice with a high degree of self respect. A very special Museum, to say the least. So I bought my first book, that I’ll read as soon as I get more Spanish.

The following day Anita and I decided to go see those UFO’s we’d heard so much about…yep..not just in the U.S… True…there have been sightings…just a couple of months ago, again…google it! Capilla del Monte is the spot….

This is the closest we got to any UFOs and extraterrestrials..

Capilla del Monte is also known as a fun hippy joint (pardon??), attracting loads of healers, spiritualists and the like...which of course begs the questions whether it was the hippies or the UFO’s that came first…

It’s supposed to be a great spot for hiking too with a huge mountain we were recommended to climb…but as we got there too late, we couldn’t do that trip. It’s probably better to do an overnighter for this kind of thing. Instead we headed on a shorter walk to what was described as a tranquil place with a beautiful river.

... there we and met a few locals.

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It's times like this you realise how lucky we are in Australia!

Thursday was a lazy day in the city for me. I swear I couldn’t help myself and admit I have serious cookbook obsession…but it is sooo gorgeous, that I bought my first Argentinean Cookbook. Being big and heavy, I decided to send it back to Australia immediately…everyone was so lovely and patient. I got sent from one post office to the next but eventually arrived at the main one where packages can be sent. A woman in the corner packed it for me for a 10 pesos…on arriving at the counter the postal worker shook his head and said pointed out that it was just over 2 kg, so had to be sent via another office that was shut…come back tomorrow…tja..such is life.

So on my last day, Friday, I decided to get this sorted out before shooting down to Alta Gracia. Good thing I got there early. I waited an hour to see a gentleman who turned out to be a customs officer. He was a bit cool at first but couldn’t help but get over exited by the Australian passport and promptly told me what each animal depicted in it is. He apologised and explained that my packaged would have to be reopened so he could view the contents…they don’t have X-ray machines. Lesson No 1 – don’t pack anything yourself or before an officer has viewed it, then move to the next line and give it to the usually blind person (who will have established their packing business at the post office) and painstakingly watch them not slice their fingers off whilst they perform and fascinatingly longwinded but Argentinean way off packing your goods. (no photos allowed.)

Anyway, depending on which postal worker you speak with they price to send a package varies up to 50%.
Prices for packing vary too. I had to restrain myself from giving him a big tip because he did such a great job to protect my precious book.

Admittedly the postage cost way more than the book…but I’ll cherish it all the more.

From here I went to the bus station and bought my first ticket all on my own in Spanish! Very pleased with myself…then as one does, I met a fellow Aussie from Perth on the bus so we spent the day together exploring Alta Gracia...there went my spanish...fun day though.

In Alta Gracia, you can visit the Che Guevara Museum that is based in one of his former homes. It’s allegedly the best Museum on him in Argentina. Boy did I learn a lot…”so he wrote the book on his adventure on a motorbike touring around Argentina that was recreated as a film years later...” Gosh, silly me.

Turns out he was Argentinean too, not Cuban…and a doctor raised in a wealthy family…and some Argentineans don’t really know what to make of him, seeing as he never really did anything in Argentina...oh and he was a handsome young man.

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After fond farewells in Cordoba, I jumped back on my luxury overnight bus to BsAs…contemplating that I have to separate myself from English speakers asap, if I’m going to get the most out of this holiday…and particularly excited about going home to BsAs and catching up with Norberto, Esther, and Manuel.

I woke up as we were arriving in BsAs and saw the slums for the first time…it’s quite confronting….but that’s for another time…

The bus arrived 45minutes early, which meant no Norberto. I wandered up and over to the Taxi rank to see if he was waiting there. A lone, empty car sat off to the side in a corner, so I figured it would be his and promptly returned to the bus terminal. I spotted him in no time, lighting a cigarette (like almost everyone does here). He looked a little concerned and scoured the area missing me each time. So I left my large pack and ran over to him. We greeted each other like old friends before he cursed me for being stupid enough to leave my large pack alone…crazy tourist!!

Big greetings back at the hotel as well, with Priscilla showing up and all excited about me knowing Debbie and Charley and explaining repeatedly how much she missed them.

Again, as you do, I met a fellow NewZealander, who was massing through on her way to Antarctica. Ooohh. How exciting. We had a fabulous dinner around the corner…we couldn’t help it but to go for the lamb…it met our approval. Estilo Criollo restaurant specialising in spear roasted meats. Num nums…
Turns out she works in the transport industry as well. Based in New Zealand doing transport planning…small world.

The next morning Norberto picked me up to take me to the airport. As BsAs had flooded over night (which I slept through), the airport was utter chaos…I have never seen queues like this…mine alone was easily 500m long…but everyone got on a plane...amazing efficiency in the chaos.

So Bariloche it is and days before my cooking adventure at the ranch!

Hasta Luego!
Naomixx